§ 2. Syllogisms

56. Preliminary remarks. -- Syllogisms may be classified either by their form or by their matter. The form of a syllogism is its structure, abstracting from the truth or falsity of the premises themselves; the matter consists of the propositions, which may be true or false.

In the following two articles we shall successively take the two points of view of form and of truth.

Scientific induction does not essentially differ from the syllogism. Hence the analogy and the example, which logicians connect with induction, may also be reduced to the syllogistic process. It follows that all forms of reasoning properly so called are but variants of the syllogism. Such will be the general conclusion to be drawn from this article.